10 Places to visit in La Palma Island – 2

6. PUNTAGORDA, GARAFIA AND THE RURAL NORTHERN AREA

La Palma Island, Canary Islands – Travel Guide – Rural Tourism

This is the most authentic part of the La Palma island, which is still bound to its cultural roots and traditions. It is a magical place for visitors, where you can feel the ancestral rhythm and rediscover yourself and your emotions. You can admire the dazzling beauty of the route which will take you from Puntagorda to Garafia, passing through Las Triscias. The route is surrounded by almond trees, tropical vegetation and Canary Island pine trees, with a constant view of the ocean on the left.
Then, continuing up to La Mata, at the mountainside of the Roque, passing by Llano Negro and Hoya Grande, will bring you back to nature and the rural life of the ancestors. A must-visit destination here is the Puntagorda market every saturday (afternoon) and sunday (morning).

7. NATURAL POOLS: CHARCO AZUL AND FAJANA

La Palma Island, Canary Islands – Travel Guide – Natural Pools

On the north-eastern part of the island, you can find the natural pools of Charco Azul (Blue ditch) and Fajana. These are precious places where the sea water naturally renews itself flowing through the rocks and you can sunbath and cool-off in the calm, crystal clear ocean’s water of La Palma island. There are swimming pools for children, access for disabled visitors and, some might appreciate that the car park is very close. On the seafront, the fish restaurants and the shaded terraces create a particularly pleasant setting for a stroll.

8. EL PILAR AND LA RUTA DE LOS VULCANOS

Ruta de los volcanos is a spectacular route (approximately 20km long) on the mountain ridge of the La Palma island, which runs through a majestic Canary Island pine forest, and a landscape of craters and lava fields. We recommend walking from North to South, until reaching the Fuencaliente lighthouse. For those who wish to stay overnight here, lodging and camping facilities are available, after all you are on holiday so why not take it easy? And sleeping beneath the stars in the La Palma sky would be an experience you will never forget.

9. LOS TILOS AND LA GALGA FOREST

La Palma Island, Canary Islands – Travel Guide – Los Tilos

Los Tilos in San Andres y Sauces is a huge subtropical bay tree forest, and was the first area of the island to be declared a reserve of UNESCO. The forest is home to a number of unique species, and is also an important heritage from the Cenozoic, when dinosaurs roamed the earth about 20 million years ago. Not everybody know that a film about dinosaurs was actually shot here, and the landscapes you can see in some of the most famous adventure movies, from Jurassik Park to Indiana Jones, could not seem more true! There are two possible routes you can take through the forest, the easiest will lead you to Mirador Espigon Atravestado, and the harder will lead you to the springs and waterfalls where you can savour the taste of adventure. The route takes several hours to walk and we suggest that you take a taxi for one part of it.

10. THE DOLPHINS

La Palma Island, Canary Islands – Travel Guide – Dolphins

Dolphins, whales, manta rays, groupers and flying fish all swim in the waters surrounding the island. Now we cannot promise that you will see them, nevertheless it is very likely that you will be able to spot them or even see them up-close. Statistically, there is about a 75% of chance. The tour on Fancy II is an experience that, most of the time, is unforgettable. During our first tour we were surrounded by dolphins for almost two hours, and we also spotted a small hammerhead shark! Don’t forget to book the tour, and you will have the opportunity to see Caldera de Taburiente and Roque de los Muchachos from the sea, along with the cliffs, caves and the dolphins!